This invention relates to a bag such as for containing a sample of a material, in which the bag is provided with a wire-type closure.
A sampling bag, such as for containing a liquid sample, is disclosed in U.S. Pat. 2,973,131 to Mead et al, which is assigned to a predecessor of the assignee of the present application. The sampling bag disclosed in the noted patent is highly satisfactory for containing a sample, and has met with great commercial success.
The sampling bag shown in the Mead et al patent is formed of a front wall and rear wall joined together to form an internal cavity in which liquid sample, or a sample of any other material, is placed. An opening is formed between the front and rear walls at the top of the bag, for providing access to the internal cavity. A wire-type closure is secured to the bag adjacent the top opening. The closure consists of a pair of wires, with one wire being connected to each wall of the bag. The wires extend outwardly past the side edges of the bag. Adhesive strips secure the wires to the front and rear walls of the bag, and adhere to each other outwardly of the side edges of the bag so as to encapsulate the wires therebetween. The adhesive strips and wires cooperate to form a tab extending from each side of the bag. The adhesive strips have a length equal to that of the wires.
A problem with the closure described above is that the wire ends can become exposed. When the tabs formed on each side of the bag are bent inwardly to close the bag opening after the sample has been placed into the bag, it is possible for the wire ends to come into contact with the walls of the bag. This may puncture the wall, resulting in the sampled material leaking from the internal cavity of the bag.
The present invention has as its object to address the noted problem, namely the possibility that the wire ends may come into contact with the walls of the bag.
It is another object of the invention to provide a simple and easily carried out structure and method for enclosing the wire ends of a closure as described.
In accordance with the invention, a bag is formed of a flexible front wall and a flexible rear wall, with the walls defining an internal cavity and a top opening providing access to the internal cavity. A deformable wire is connected to and extends laterally from each side of the bag, with the wire terminating in a pair of wire ends each spaced outwardly from a side edge of the bag. The wire ends are adapted to be bent inwardly to close the open top of the bag. A wire cover is connected to the wire outwardly of the side edges of the bag. The wire cover extends beyond each wire end, to enclose the wire ends and thereby prevent contact of the wire ends with the bag walls when the wire ends are bent inwardly to close the open top of the bag. The deformable wire extends throughout the width of the bag. In one form of the invention, a pair of wires are connected to the bag one to each wall, with the pair of wires being coextensive. The cover acts to enclose the ends of both of the wires. The cover preferably encases the portions of the wire extending outwardly from the side edges of the bag, and also extends across the bag to enclose the portion of the wire disposed against the bag wall. In one form of the invention, the cover comprises an adhesive strip fastened to a wall of the bag for sandwiching the wire therebetween, with the adhesive strip extending along with the wire laterally outwardly from the sides of the bag beyond the wire ends. An adhering element is secured to the adhesive strip outwardly of the sides of the bag and beyond the wire ends, for enclosing the wire ends and encasing that portion of the wire extending outwardly from the sides of the bag. When a pair of wires are connected one to each wall of the bag, the adhering element comprises a second adhesive strip which is coextensive with and faces the first-mentioned adhesive strip. The second adhesive strip is located over the second wire, and cooperates with the first-mentioned adhesive strip to encase the portions of the wires extending outwardly from the sides of the bag and to enclose the wire ends. The first-mentioned and second adhesive strips extend beyond the wire ends, and when adhered together protectively enclose the wire ends.
The wires may be secured to the bag prior to application of the adhesive strips, to maintain proper positioning of the wires before the adhesive strips are placed thereover. In the form of the invention disclosed, the wires are secured to the bag walls by secondary, or inner, adhesive strips. The inner adhesive strips are coextensive with the wires. The inner adhesive strips maintain each wire against a wall of the bag, and are secured to each other along the length of the wires located outwardly of the sides of the bag. The primary outer adhesive strips, discussed previously, sandwich the inner adhesive strips against the walls of the bag, and encase the wires and inner adhesive strips laterally outwardly of the sides of the bag.
The invention further contemplates a method of applying a wire closure to a bag, substantially in accordance with the foregoing summary.
Various other features, advantages and objects of the invention will be made apparent from the following description taken together with the drawings.